Module 4: Because of Winn-Dixie

Summary:

This book follows the experiences of Opal as she and her father move to a new town.  Opal, like any ten year old, misses her old town and her old friends.  Most of all she misses her mother who left when she was very young.  When a stray dog runs wild in a Winn-Dixie grocery store, Opal has a furry friend.  The dog, named for his grocery store escapade, becomes part of the family.  His friendliness leads to Opal meeting people in the community and making unique friends.  She learns that you can’t judge people or dogs on their outward appearance. Opal and her friend Gloria decide to have a party and include everyone.  But a storm blows up and Winn-Dixie is terrified and bolts.  Opal is devastated.  She likens Winn-Dixie’s disappearance to her mother’s abandonment.  She comes to realize a few things: her father loves her, she has friends that love her, and her dog, who loves her,  was under the bed the whole time!

APA Reference:

DiCamillo, K. (2000). Because of Winn-Dixie. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press.

Impression:

This book is heartwarming and leaves you fulfilled.  I was terrified the entire time there would be a Old Yeller or Where the Red Fern Grows ending.  The heart to heart that Opal has with her father is touching.  The characters are likable and warm. Of course the story is written for a younger audience, but it wasn’t so childish that and older reader wouldn’t enjoy it. 

Professional Review:

"According to Miss Franny Block, the town librarian in Naomi, Florida, her great-grandfather made his fortune after the Civil War by manufacturing a candy "that tasted sweet and sad at the same time." Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni (called Opal) thinks this description of the candy sounds a lot like life, where "the sweet and the sad were all mixed up together," too. It's also a pretty apt description of this engaging Southern-style first-person novel, featuring a girl and dog with a lot to offer each other. Children's literature is full of animal-to-the-rescue stories, but rarely does salvation come in the form of a creature with as much personality as Winn-Dixie. When Opal, who has just moved to town with her preacher father, discovers him cheerfully knocking over produce in the Winn-Dixie supermarket one day, it's obvious he's a stray. "Mostly, he looked like a big piece of old brown carpet that had been left out in the rain." His friendly manner, which involves pulling back his lips into what appears to be a smile, wins her over and, luckily, wins her father over as well. As if in gratitude for giving him a good home, Winn-Dixie immediately begins easing Opal's troubles, helping her make friends, who in turn help her come to terms with the fact that her mother abandoned her and probably won't be back. The story teeters on the edge of sentimentality and sometimes topples right in, but the characters are so likable, so genuine, it's an easy flaw to forgive. All in all, this is a gentle book about good people coming together to combat loneliness and heartache--with a little canine assistance."

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By Christine M. Hepperman

Hepperman, C. M. (2000). Because of Winn-Dixie.  Horn Book Magazine, 76(4), 455-456.

Library Use:

This book might be used for a unit on narratives.  Several characters tell Opal their “story” and this might lead to unit on recording someone’s story.  Students could interview a family or friend for a quick narrative writing task.